OpenAI to Halve Revenue Share with Microsoft Amid Restructuring, Report Says

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OpenAI plans to significantly reduce the share of its revenue allocated to Microsoft by the end of the decade, as part of its ongoing corporate restructuring, according to a report by The Information on Tuesday. The AI firm reportedly informed investors that its revenue-sharing deal with Microsoft—currently 20% through 2030—could fall to 10% or less over the next several years.

The shift comes amid broader changes at OpenAI, which recently abandoned plans for a full conversion into a public benefit corporation (PBC) and reaffirmed nonprofit control, limiting CEO Sam Altman’s power while trying to balance mission-driven governance with commercial scalability.

The financial update shared with investors suggests a future where OpenAI is less dependent on Microsoft while still maintaining a collaborative relationship. In response to the report, OpenAI noted it is “finalizing the details of this recapitalization”, and said it continues to work closely with Microsoft. However, Microsoft declined to comment.

In January, Microsoft adjusted key terms of its deal with OpenAI, following its joint venture with Oracle and SoftBank to invest up to $500 billion in U.S.-based AI data centers—a move that signaled deeper integration of AI infrastructure beyond OpenAI’s models alone.

The current OpenAI–Microsoft partnership includes reciprocal revenue sharing agreements, access to OpenAI’s models on Microsoft’s Azure platform, and embedded use of ChatGPT within Microsoft’s enterprise software like Office and Azure AI services.

Microsoft, which has invested over $13 billion in OpenAI, is believed to be negotiating for continued access to OpenAI’s technology post-2030, as competition intensifies in the global AI race.

Verisk Beats Q1 Profit Estimates on Strong Demand for Insurance Analytics Amid Rising Climate Risks

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Verisk Analytics (VRSK.O) reported better-than-expected earnings for the first quarter of 2025, as increased demand for its data analytics products—particularly among property and casualty (P&C) insurers—boosted revenue. The firm has become a critical partner to insurers facing mounting claims from extreme weather events, including record-setting disasters like the California wildfires, which alone have caused economic losses of up to $250 billion.

In response to climate-driven volatility, insurers are relying more heavily on Verisk’s catastrophe modeling, predictive analytics, and AI-powered insights to assess risk and price policies more effectively.

Q1 Financial Highlights:

  • Revenue: $753 million, up 7% YoY (vs. $749.8M estimate)

  • Adjusted EPS: $1.73, up from $1.63 YoY (vs. $1.68 estimate)

  • Underwriting revenue: $532 million, up 6.8%

  • Claims revenue: Up 7.5%, driven by demand for anti-fraud tools and property estimating solutions

Verisk’s continued integration of artificial intelligence has enhanced its ability to deliver real-time, actionable insights, helping clients better manage underwriting risks and streamline claims operations.

The company’s New Jersey-based analytics business has remained resilient amid market volatility, and its stock has gained 7.5% year-to-date, outperforming the S&P 500, which has declined nearly 5% over the same period.

As insurers grapple with the financial toll of climate change and natural disasters, Verisk’s role in enabling data-driven decision-making is becoming increasingly indispensable.

Nordic Countries and Estonia Develop Offline Card Payment Systems Amid Sabotage Fears

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Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Estonia are jointly developing offline card payment systems to ensure financial continuity in the event of internet disruptions, including potential sabotage of undersea infrastructure, Bank of Finland board member Tuomas Valimaki told Reuters on Wednesday.

The move follows increasing geopolitical tensions, notably Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and a series of unexplained incidents damaging critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea region. Western intelligence agencies have blamed Russia for acts of sabotage, which Moscow denies.

“The likelihood of major disruptions has increased,” said Valimaki. “Payments are a potential target because of their critical role in everyday life.”

With 90% of Finns relying on card payments, the region is especially vulnerable to disruptions in international data links—many of which are reliant on U.S. infrastructure like Visa and Mastercard.

What Offline Payments Could Look Like:

Offline payments would allow card terminals to store encrypted transaction data, which could then be processed once connections are restored.

  • Sweden aims to launch its system by July 1, 2026, allowing purchases of essential goods during disruptions lasting up to seven days.

  • Norway and Denmark have already deployed initial offline systems.

  • Estonia is also developing a solution, though its central bank has not provided public details.

The Nordic region’s urgency has been heightened by events such as the Nordea DDoS attacks in 2023, which left customers without access to online banking for weeks.

Valimaki also warned of the dominance of U.S. payment networks, suggesting that even services like Apple Pay and Google Pay rely on the Visa-Mastercard infrastructure, and are therefore subject to geopolitical pressure.

“We cannot rule out that one night someone on Truth Social comes up with using payments as a pressure tactic,” he said, referencing the platform where U.S. President Donald Trump frequently shares his policy views.

To enhance payment sovereignty, Finland is planning to:

  • Launch a national instant payment system within a few years.

  • Enable offline card payments for consumers as early as 2025.

  • Introduce national reserve bank accounts, ensuring Finns can access their funds even if commercial banks go offline.

Meanwhile, the European Central Bank’s proposed digital euro may one day offer pan-European instant payments, but Valimaki cautioned that full implementation is still years away, even with political support.

At a separate event in Helsinki, NATO’s Christian-Marc Lilflander called for finance ministers to play a larger role in national security discussions, especially around financial infrastructure resilience.